The present invention relates generally to a positioning fixture or apparatus for accurately positioning a tool having end cutting parts or cutting edges on its end face, such as an end mill, counterbore or spot facer, prior to a grinding or sharpening operation for sharpening the cutting edges of the tool.
The end cutting parts of tools such as end mills become dull after a period of use, and must then be sharpened. The cutting edges or ends of the flutes must be ground in a level position to obtain the desired cutter geometry. In the machine shop, such tools are normally positioned by eye prior to sharpening. However, this procedure is inconvenient and usually not accurate enough to ensure that the geometry of clearances can be accurately repeated from one tool to another.